Abysmal Souls: Chapter 2

[Shin]

"Estarna would probably be a good idea, I know you don't want to lose her entirely." Aurelio replied, it was weird being the calmer party for once. "My horse should be fine, he's pretty tough. Last time someone tried to steal him, he broke a couple of their ribs."

He looked over at Ormis, The kid really wasn't in good shape, that wound would probably scar even if treated properly. The snow was continuing to coat him gently, almost as if it were trying to claim him.

"Pull through, kid. You've got a lot more of the world to see."

Now would probably be a good time to actually get the low down on the witch. He knew she was genuine, but he really didn't see much evil stuff happening. He'd heard folklore about witches, but generally he regarded them as nonsense. Nobody can rise from the dead, right? Even magic had its limits?

"Yo, Grant. Now we've got a little time, d'you mind filling me in on who that girl is? You and the kid seem to have something against her, something serious. Who and what exactly is she?" he asked, trudging through the snow. "If you start to get tired, let me take over. I've still got some fire in me."

If he did, it wasn't particularly big, he'd probably make it to Estarna but fighting would be out of the question.

[Nanami Touko]

Another scream rang out over the hills, but Adrian didn't pay attention to that. He was almost free! He'd stop at Reinaldt, get fixed up, and then... run to Shuthra? It'd be better than trying to hide out in Sapphire; the entire province knew who the witch was and was probably hunting for her. Of course, that means that Reinaldt will probably be searching for her as well. Alright, I'll just visit one of the smaller villages instead of heading to the fort. Yeah, yeah. He could do that, and, hey, maybe he'd get at least one good night's sleep. This's gonna work out! Alright! And then he fell over, smashing down into the snow, and dropping Carrion out in front of him. "What...?" His right leg had given out on him, unable to handle all the strain he'd been giving it over the evening. He struggled to get back onto his feet, forcing his leg to stay standing. "Alright, I can't run anymore, but I'm not being followed, this is fine." He picked up Carrion once more, holding her on his back now, and continued to limp off of the mountain, almost down.

------

"Ahhhhhh~" Plodding across the mountain snow, Amera stretched out her arms. She had a sack over her shoulder, containing the bodies of three boars, indigenous to the area. It was always easier for her to find food in Sapphire; the mountains in Shuthra were either too dangerous or too barren, and since she lived so close to the border, she'd cross it to go hunting every now and then. She was getting ready to leave, when a scream shot through the air.

"I CAN'T DO THIS ANYMORE!"

She flinched, turning towards the noise. "Who was that...?" Sounded like a woman... She was interested in finding out, since, normally, no one else (save for the odd hunter) would be on the mountains. And they never screamed like that, if they were. "Doesn't she know what's here?" Of course, whilst Shuthra wasn't the safest place, Amera knew of the monsters that inhabited the mountains here, which caused her to never venture that far in.

Coming over a small ledge, she saw a girl sitting in the snow, covered in blood, and seemingly crying. Oh, geez, what happened to her?! She bounded down the ledge, and walked over to her, making sure to stay back, just in case there was another reason for the blood. "Uhm, miss? Are... are you alright?"

Edited June 7, 2011 by seph1212

[Caliban of Sycorax]

Uhm, miss? Are...are you alright?

A female voice pierced her ears, of course this voice wasn't her mother's. She looked and saw a young girl, standing there, looking slightly afraid. Lucretia figured as much, as she was still covered in blood.

"I...I'm fine, sorry. I just...was hit with a memory. And not a pleasant one." She gasped for air, trying to remember where she was. The snow continued falling. She slowly stood, in the hopes of finding where the pair she was chasing ran off to. "Where did they go?"

[Nanami Touko]

Oh, thank the Gods, she's not crazy. Interacting with a human, one covered in blood, was the last thing Amera had wanted to do that day, but she wasn't about to leave the poor girl here. "Are... Are you sure you're fine?" She was still worried, as, it was a lot of blood, and she couldn't tell if it was this girl's blood, or someone else's.

"Where did they go?"

Amera hadn't seen or heard anyone else running in the hills that day. This girl was making it sound like there were, though, which she just couldn't believe. "Uhm... 'they'? Miss, I haven't see anyone else on the mountain today. Listen, I'm Amera. D'you need me to help you get to town?" She got a little closer, still wary of her. I can't just leave her here, but... I should've just went home. Let's just hope that no one else shows up; like anyone else would actually be here.

Edited June 7, 2011 by seph1212

[Caliban of Sycorax]

"Are... Are you sure you're fine? Uhm... 'they'? Miss, I haven't see anyone else on the mountain today. Listen, I'm Amera. D'you need me to help you get to town?"

Lucretia realized she was still soaked in blood.

"It's not mine, I was attacked by frost chameleons." She said. "There are others here, too, but I don't know where they are." She tried to get some of the blood off of her skin. The stench was repulsive but she shook it off for now, she needed to move onward.

"There were two that ran that way," pointing in the direction Adrian ran off to, "I was trying to catch up with them. In that direction," she pointed to where she came from, "there are others who were with me when we fought the beasts."

"As for the two I'm looking for, one is supposedly being hunted, and I want to know why."

[Nanami Touko]

Really? They were attacked... and lived? They must've ran, or the rest of her group must be powerful fighters. Amused and bemused, Amera dropped her wary of the girl, knowing now that she wasn't some sort of insane murderer. Mention of these others was what was amusing her so much. "So, these others, where are they? These mountains really aren't that safe of a place. Are they alright?" She might have been asking too many questions, but she really wanted to know.

"Oh, I know where that leads!" She smiled as the girl pointed, her ears twitching a little bit. "That way leads off to Reinhaldt. It's the fortress on the border of Sapphire and Shuthra. And you and your friends have come from... Ayreh?" it was either that or Estarna, though, if they'd crossed the mountains, coming from Estarna would've taken a long time, with the route she was describing.

"Gosh, someone's being hunted as well? Sounds like you're going through a lot, there. Maybe we should wait for your friends to catch up? And I never did get your name." Amera said 'we' because she had nothing better to do, and didn't want to leave the girl in the condition she was in. She set her sack down and stretched again, giving the girl a reassuring smile.

-----

Adrian had found his way to a small village on the outskirts of Reinaldt, which looked mostly deserted, save for an old couple still living in their shack. The rest of the houses were empty, and devoid of any signs of habitation. "Alright, I can sneak into one of these houses and fix myself up. Maybe there'll be something in them, too." The old couple didn't notice as he made his way into the empty house. There wasn't much there, but there was a bed, which he set Riya down on. He found a towel in the bathroom, and replaced his shirt with it, leaving the blood soaked mess on the floor. "Man... what have I got myself into? I just... hope Riya wakes up soon."

Edited June 7, 2011 by seph1212

[CT075]

Teis - ...somewhere.

Teis was almost broke, seeing as he'd managed to spend almost all his money earned from mercenary work on repairing his secondary axe. It was kind of annoying, since his other one never seemed to get damaged at all. On his way out, he figured he'd buy a drink with what little he had left.

"Hey, how ya doing? You broke from fixing dat axe again? Geez, you'd think a man like you would know not to swing dat thing aroun' so damn strong."

Teis said nothing besides what he wanted, then downed it in one gulp after it came. Still no word of him... It was kind of disconcerting. He'd searched through almost all of Luthira now, with no results. He almost dashed his heavy axe, the big one against the counter, but caught himself. It wasn't worth getting arrested over.

On his way out, the barkeep caught his attention with one last comment.

"Ey, wait. Dere's a rumor around town that there was dis', er, summoner, no, this dark magician hidin' out in Reinaldt. Maybe dat's your mark."

Teis thanked him, then left quickly.

Reinaldt, huh...? That's not too far from here... two hour's travel at most.

He started off, as fast as he could. Hopefully it was the man he was looking for. If not... then what?

---

Ormis - Wounded

Ormis thought he was hearing voices. Hearing Scarlet, taunting him. His parents, berating him for not protecting them. That other guy with the axe, telling him to hang on... wait a sec.

"Wha-" He woke up, flailing around for a split second and falling off of Grant's back. His own wound was about half-finished healing, leaving a long scar. "What the... where's..."

He didn't need an answer. It was obvious, Adrian had taken Scarlet and fled. The boy sighed.

"Adrian and Scarlet are gone, aren't they?"

Edited June 7, 2011 by Camtech075

[ReformBlade]

Carrion stirred, groaning a bit before slowly opening her eyes and yawning. "...Where am I...?" She would've sat up, but she was too damn tired and the room seemed to dark to really do anything in anyway. She saw Adrian there, that was good. "Hey... where are we, Adrian" She said weakly. Her mana seemed to have lessened from what she could tell, and... "Where is Faye?! I-I can't sense her anywhere!" she said in a slight panic, though her voice was still weak.

Grant sighed heavily, unable to catch the kid as he fell off his back but not too particularly attentive since he seemed to be recovering better than expected. "Who is she? the Crimson witch. the devourer. You saw those damned lizards, right? Imagine that happening to humans, countless numbers of them. She is a MONSTER. Nothing more, nothing less. We were sent on a mission to clear out some bandits, she was unbeknownst to us also sent on the mission, and lo and behold, she ends up trying to kill all of us... Even Adrian... I seriously have no fucking clue what the hell happened that he'd suddenly start helping a murderer. Maybe I read him wrong? i don't know... All I know is that she threatened to kill my family, and that is all i need to hear to set me off." His voice started to trail off towards the end, but he snapped back into reality. "We should catch up to Lucretia and take the kid to someplace safe. You need some rest, Ormis..."

[Caliban of Sycorax]

"Gosh, someone's being hunted as well? Sounds like you're going through a lot, there. Maybe we should wait for your friends to catch up? And I never did get your name."

Lucretia sensed a warmth about this girl. She seemed genuine. Her smile reminded Lucretia of something she dreamed about, as a little girl. Her mother's smile.

"My name is Lucretia." She said. She thought back to the people she was with. Only Aurelio seemed to be looking out for her, but she knew that she had to keep moving if she wanted to find the Crimson Witch. She needed to know what was going on, and she wanted to know why the memories of her past kept haunting her more than ever.

"I need to keep moving, Amera--I'm sure the others are moving." She finally said. "I need to find this Witch. There's a few things I need to ask her." Her mind drifted to the warmth she felt from Amera, and then she felt the cold from her mother.

"On second thought, it's important to make sure they're all right. I don't know them too well, but I just hope they're okay. As long as I know they're safe I can move onward."

---

As the next man fell, Anastasia could feel the euphoria from her kills. She had just killed fifteen men without breaking a sweat.

"And you call yourselves the finest mercenaries in Sapphire." She spat on the ground as she wiped the blood from her prized sword, Queen. It was almost like her body reacted to each kill differently. It was certainly pleasureable for her. She had heard from people in Leticia that Lucretia left the town with a caravan headed to Sapphire. She began her pursuit shortly after.

She arrived at the inn where the group had stayed. She walked immediately to the bar and threw a silver coin on the counter.

"Absinthe, straight up." She said.

"Wow, missy. Not too many get that. One woman a while back got it too." The barkeep replied.

"What did she look like?!" Anastasia's voice raised in pitch. She had hoped Lucretia was the answer.

"She looked like a younger version of you, miss." He replied as he slid the drink.

"Where did she go?" She asked.

"Dunno, I think she went after some 'Crimson Witch'."

Anastasia downed the absinthe, and headed to the town's gate which was recently destroyed. "There's no way someone else is going to take the kill that is rightfully mine."

[CT075]

Ormis - Still wounded

"No."

The words came out with surprising force. "I know what you can all see, but he's NOT a bad person. I don't know exactly what happened, but she... did something to him and now his life is like... tied to her's or something." Ormis stood up. "Look, I know what it looks like, and I of all people should want to kill her. She killed my family, not just threaten to. But... some part of me just can't accept that Adrian would just defect without good reason. Either way, the only way onward is forward." He took a few unsteady steps forward, then caught himself.

"From what these footprints suggest, he was heading to Shuthra, somewhere. Probably Reinaldt, that's remote enough that they won't garner any attention."

Teis - Reinaldt

Teis ran into Reinaldt, sweating and exhausted. From what he could tell, the fort itself was fairly well manned, but the town around it was not. He found it very easy to avoid detection, since the only people here were some old couple... and a man with a bloody chest.

[Nanami Touko]

Adrian flinched, half expecting someone else to be there when he looked over at Carrion. "You're awake... good." He breathed a sigh of relief and fell back against the bed. "We're in a small village outside of Reinaldt. After you... took care of the chameleons, I grabbed you and ran. I still don't know how I managed to get away." Of course, he played back his escape in his mind. Running down the ledge, grabbing her, and getting passed two fully armed warriors... he couldn't believe he'd done it. Snapping back to reality as Riya began to freak, he thought the same thing. "I... I haven't heard from her ever since the night of the attack..." He couldn't say she'd been the highest priority on his list of worries. "Listen, can we worry about her later? I need to know if you'll be okay to move, soon. I know that Grant won't stop following us."

-----

"Alright, Lucretia" she said with a smile. The girl seemed to want to leave, and Amera hoped she wasn't putting her off with her kindness. Though, when she said she'd better stay for her friends, Amera was glad. I'm not very good at socializing with others... Oh, man. "You said that you came from that way, right?" She asked, pointing to the direction indicated earlier. "Hold on, I'll go check to see if they're coming!" With that, she bounded up the hill, running on all fours just to take a peek over the ridge. By this point, the earlier storm had turned into flurries, and most of the mountain was easily visible. She poked her head over the ridge, spotting a group of three people walking towards it. "Hello!" She called down cheerfully, the same silly smile plastered all over her face.

[CT075]

Teis - Actually doing something unlike his counterpart

Teis had no idea what he would see when he entered the house, just not this. He'd snuck around the back, kicked down the door, then walked in with his axe at the ready. What he had NOT expected was a woman with red hair lying on a bed looking half dead, and a man smelling of spices wearing nothing but a blood-stained towel.

"Uh... whoa, what the hell happened here?"

Ormis - Covered with Snow

"Hello!"

Ormis almost reacted. Almost. But his back had a huge scar on it, so he didn't dare pull out his sword just yet. As it was, it was just some idiot girl, probably about his age. She was obviously an Anri from her ears and the fact that she'd been on all fours when Ormis had first spotted her.

"What the-..."

[ReformBlade]

Carrion tried moving, but her muscles seemed to have been much more exhausted than she had anticipated. "I... i can't move yet... Goddamn, I didn't think it was THAT much power...." She frowned at Adrian until she realized there was another man in the room.

"Uh... whoa, what the hell happened here?"

"What happened? Almost dying to goddamn lizards and barely escaping with our lives... I think... I fell unconscious after i casted a spell... and... I think he brought me here? Ugh..." She grimaced, her mind overheating trying to figure shit out.

"Wait... she did WHAT to him? He's being used or what?" Grant had no idea what that entailed.

"Hello!"

Grant looked to where the voice was coming from, spotting an Anri girl. "What the hell are you doing out here by yourself? You know how fucking dangerous this place is? There's a murderer on the loose for god's sake!" he said quite angrily, though he didn't mean it. He was obviously getting tired of this situation and could use a good sleep soon.

Edited June 8, 2011 by SlaveBlade

[CT075]

EDIT: blargh

Edited June 8, 2011 by Camtech075

[Nanami Touko]

Adrian shot off of the bed as soon as he heard the door crash down, standing between this new figure and Riya. "Nothing happ--"

"What happened? Almost dying to goddamn lizards and barely escaping with our lives... I think... I fell unconscious after i casted a spell... and... I think he brought me here? Ugh..."

"Or that..." He sighed, wishing she hadn't opened her mouth, but it was too late now. He sat back down, the man, even though he had an axe, not seeming like one of the people chasing them. Adrian had thought, for a moment, that it was Aurelio. That would have terrified him. "Yes, I brought her here. We're on our way to Shuthra, and were attacked up on the mountain by the chameleons." As long as this man didn't find out who Riya was, Adrian wouldn't have to worry.

-----

"Lucretia, they're almost here!" Amera called back down the hill. She glanced back down at the group of people, staring at the boy who'd noticed her first. Well, he looks kinda cute. Seems to be walkin' a little funny, though. Hope nothin's wrong. Though, the man near him was scaring her, screaming up at her just for saying hello. "Yeah, well... You're mean!" She stuck her tongue out at him and popped back down from the ridge. "All I said was 'hi', geez. He didn't have to react like that." Her tail had been wagging until he'd spoke, putting a damper on her mood.

Edited June 8, 2011 by seph1212

[ReformBlade]

Adrian had said everything that needed to be said, so she sat there, closing her eyes. Not like she'd be able to do much anyway, her body practically shut down on her like that.

Grant was taken aback by the new girl, surprised by her reaction. He decided to get to a more important matter. "You said Lucretia, is she alright? I heard a scream that sounded like it'd belong to her, so..." He trailed off again. "Look, miss, I wasn't trying to be mean. If you had witnessed what I just witnessed back there... I'd say I'm pretty friggin calm given the circumstances, but I digress."

[Nanami Touko]

Well, at least he apologized. Amera sprung back over the ridge, all smiles once again. "Yeah, she's just over this hill, sir!" Her tone had turned back into a happy one, as her tail proceeded to wag once more. "If y'all hurry up, we might be able to make it to town tonight~. I'd love to sleep on a nice, soft inn bed, wouldn't you?" Amera had been on the mountains for most of the day, and the inn at Reinhaldt was starting to feel extremely inviting. Even Estarna would be nice, though, going there would mean a longer trip back home, for her. She ignored his comment about what he'd seen, wanting to hurry them along, rather than sit there and chat. Sh'd probably ask him later. "So, come on, hurry up, hee hee~" she said, with a giggle. It's nice to have these nice people to talk to.

Edited June 8, 2011 by seph1212

[Shin]

Aurelio

"Heh, you're still alive then? I see what you mean about her, guys. We really need to get to the bottom of this."

He noticed the girl Grant was talking to. The girl was pretty strange, she was probably an Anri - he'd seen a couple as slaves across the continent. Although her freedom was slightly surprising.

"Thanks for looking after Lucretia. The lot of us have been through some tough stuff lately. I wanna see how she's doing, it's not often someone screams like that." he said, his fatigue showing a little. He went ahead and peered over the hill. Lucretia always seemed on edge. There was nothing around that could have attacked her, the Anri seemed friendly enough, so something had to be up. Spotting Lucretia, he stumbled down the hill, almost tripping upon stopping - it's icy sheets seemed to have been cruelly placed. Regaining his balance, he turned to her;

"Miss me?" he said, half-jokingly, he noticed that she was drenched in blood but most of it seemed to be from lizard guts, "What happened? You're alright, aren't you?"

---------------------------------------------

Ken - outskirts of Albion, Lushira

Ken had spent the last few days packing for his expedition, making sure he had all his prayer books, spell books and as much bread as he could get away with. At last, he had been deemed ready. His family was quite glad to get rid of him, and he knew it. No matter, upon his return he'd share his tale and see how they felt about it. The odds are that they wouldn't be happy, but he could only try his best and smile.

Sending him byhorse and cart was the most support they gave him, only his younger brother saw him off, although he deeply appreciated that.

"I wonder if I can convert anyone in Shuthra. If they're all the devil worshipping heretics I've been told about, I might have a little trouble." he pondered whilst nibbling a bread roll. He also hoped he didn't run into the devil girl, the Scarlet Witch. She'd be especially hard to make repent.

[Jaybee]

The thrill of the mission wasn't even there anymore. Travel to this location, and kill this man for money. It just seemed too easy. It had brought her fame, yet no happiness, nor given her much of a purpose. In any case, this was the life she had to live with. It would change soon... Someday...

Elune briskly walked into the small tavern on the outskirts of Revaius. Business naturally found its way to her in places like these - Almost every man had someone they disliked or wanted dead, and she was the perfect assassin. Within a few minutes, an old man, his breath reeking of alcohol, approached the assassin.

"You see, this man h-here... He's not a good man. His father... killed many people! So kill him for me. I'll give you half of all my money!"

Elune stared back at him, her right hand slowly drawn to her dagger. "Name? ... And where is he?"

"Brishorst. Or Phirias. Or somewhere in Shuthra, I don't know. Name is... Ah, fuck it. You'll find him with this picture anyway."

"Done." Elune shoved the drunken old man away and existed the tavern as swiftly as she had entered.

It's a relatively straightforward path to Brishorst... Oh well. That stupid man didn't even tell me very much. Looks like I'll need a proper disguise. Elune started running towards Adelaise, hoping she'd find something good to mask her appearance there.

Edited June 8, 2011 by JBCWK

[Caliban of Sycorax]

Lucretia

"What happened? You're alright, aren't you?"

She noticed that everyone else was all right, at least alive at any rate. Lucretia sighed. "I'm fine, Aurelio. Thanks for caring." She then pondered what to do next.

Should I stay with them, or go after the Witch?

She noticed that they all had varying degrees of injury, with Ormis having the most. However, she noticed Grant carrying him.

"They're all right." She said to herself as she turned around and headed in the direction she spotted Adrian and Carrion going.

--

Anastasia

She continued along the outskirts of town, looking for a clue as to where this "Crimson Witch" was headed. She had learned that this witch was a murderer and a devourer.

No one is taking the kill that is rightfully mine. She continued onward towards the mountains, hoping to find some clue as to where Lucretia had gone.

"If I can't find her I can at least find the Witch--then I can take it from there."

[Shin]

Aurelio

"Hey, don't run off like that! Aren't you gonna wait for the others, our chances are better as a group." he said, running up to Lucretia. Why did everyone keep running away? Did he smell bad or something?

"If you're looking for that girl, I'm coming with you. I think we all want answers, Grant and the kid say she's some pretty nasty stuff but it doesn't seem quite that way." he added, if she ran off now, he'd have no hope of catching her. For the second time, he felt the uneasiness around her. She truly was on edge all the time, almost like she expecting something terrible.

---------------------

Ken

Ken had finished his lunch, he really didn't have much to do until he left Lushira. Hopefully he'd find somewhere nice to stop off, and some people willing to be converted. (Literally nothing for him to do storywise :P)

[Nanami Touko]

"No problem, sir." She responded to the axe man. Though, maybe there is something wrong with her. I dunno, she seemed nice enough. "I wish I knew why she'd screamed, though, sir. I mean, I wouldn't have found her if she didn't, but, makes me worry." Of course, the boy walked off to Lucretia before telling Amera his name, or anything. Hmph! The people here are so rude... She trotted off after the boy and Lucretia, surprised as she suddenly started running off. "Hey, wait! That big guy's still climbing over here." Gosh, she's so impatient! What could be so important that she can't even wait for her friends? But she wasn't stopping, so Amera sighed, making a little pouting face. "Fiiiine, wait for us, then!" She followed after the boy and Lucretia. Amera's day was now being pulled into the interest of finding out what was wrong with Lucretia, and why these people were chasing these others.

[Shin]

Aurelio

"Don't worry about the formalities, kid. You can call me Aurelio. Don't worry about Grant over there, he's pretty good at catching up." he laughed. Nobody had called him sir... ever. He wasn't exactly a gentleman. The girl's face made him laugh, she was almost like a child. Well, most Anri were. Her independence still confused him.

"What're you doing all the way out here? Our witch hunt might seem a little weird, but to be traveling in the mountains alone is something else." he asked. "We're heading towards Shuthra, right? Dang, I only just left there."

-------------------------

Ken

(Doing nothing in particular :P)

[Caliban of Sycorax]

Lucretia realized that these people actually cared for her, because it seemed as if they were worried for her safety.

It's so weird to feel this warmth from so many strangers...

She stopped and turned to Aurelio. "You're right, our chances are better as a group. And I'm sure we all need to find out about the Witch for ourselves." She gave Aurelio a smile. He seemed genuine, something she seemed to miss out before. "I'm just concerned that we should get to a town quickly." Truthfully, she knew she needed to keep moving, in case her mother was getting closer.

[ReformBlade]

Grant narrowed his eyes at the conversation. "You can all 'figure it out' after I smash her skull in repeatedly. There is no question about it in my mind, she's too dangerous and loose to exist as she is right now. Unless by some miracle I'm convinced otherwise, I'm not dropping my pursuit of that heartless killer..." He said resolutely. His life was in endangered because of her, and now these others were seeking negotiation by the sounds of it? He would have none of it. While he wouldn't count them as enemies, he would certainly not count on them currently in his new goal.